FOREIGN MINISTER
NAZAROV: (Via interpreter.) We have just concluded a meeting
between the delegation of the President of the Republic of
Tajikistan, President Rahmonov, and the delegation of the
United States headed by Secretary of State Rice.

Secretary Rice is visiting Tajikistan for the first time and
arrived here to discuss a system of widening relations
between Tajikistan and the United States, deepening these
relations both on a bilateral and a regional level.

During the session, such topics of international threats
were touched upon, including terrorism, extremism, and
narcotics trade. The President of Tajikistan said that
Tajikistan has been and remains a partner of the United
States in the international fight against terrorism,
extremism, and the international narcotics business.

And that's why I came to the conclusion that in order to be
effective in our antiterrorism cooperation, the sides must
devote more attention to the issues of regional security
and regional development.

Tajikistan has pointed to the
positive changes that have undertaken in Afghanistan and
as a result of counterterrorism cooperation there, with the
election of the president, the parliament, the adoption of a
constitution, and which all give rise to the hope that the
situation will be improving.

Still, it was noted that
there are pockets of destabilizing factors still extant in
Afghanistan. There are pockets of Taliban and al-Qaida
fighters who are still attacking the coalition forces. And
to combat it, as never before, we need a strong
cooperation between the forces of the coalition to finally
defeat these negative forces.

The sides also discussed
some bilateral issues, especially issues of an economic
nature. Tajikistan thanked the United States for helping
build a bridge over the River Pyandzh and for many years
of aid and support. Nonetheless, we proposed that perhaps
it is time to start moving from providing humanitarian aid
to projects, which would help Tajikistan develop.

Mutual
understanding was reached on all of the above issues.

In
conclusion, I would like to ask the Secretary of State,
Madame Condoleezza Rice, to also make her statement.

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I did have a very good discussion with
President Rahmonov and with members of his government
about the full range of U.S. relations with Tajikistan. We
did talk about our cooperation in the war on terrorism and
against narcotics and about the need to fully support
Afghanistan so that Afghanistan can develop as a stable
and democratic country that would never again be a
platform for terrorist attacks.

We talked about the
potential in the long run for this area, this region, to be
economically strong through regional cooperation and through
the contacts that can be made if indeed trade barriers are
lowered and if it becomes possible for Central Asia to
operate economically as a region.

And the President and
I, in our session together earlier, had an opportunity to
talk about the course of political events here in Tajikistan
and the need for further democratic reform. I noted that
Tajikistan does have independent political parties, that
one of them is an Islamic party, and that that party
participates in the political life, indeed in the parliament
and in the government of Tajikistan.

That we, of
course, are looking to the elections that will take place in
Tajikistan and to have the government assure that those
elections are free and fair. And, of course, free and fair
elections do not begin on the day of the elections, but
rather with the ability of opposition parties and movements
to organize, to be able to do so without fear, to have
access to the press so that their message can get across
to the people.

All in all, we had a very good discussion
and I believe that U.S.-Tajik relations can be deepened
and we look forward to working with Tajikistan on the many
issues of mutual interest.

FOREIGN MINISTER NAZAROV: A
question from ITAR-TASS.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) I
have a question, Dr. Rice, about the discussions you've
had. Did you talk many specifics about the
military-technical cooperation between Tajikistan and the
United States? And if you have, what specifically was
being discussed? And is there any possibility of U.S.
military presence on Tajik soil in any form?

SECRETARY
RICE: Well, as we have said, we do not seek a permanent
military presence in this region. The United States is not
at this time in a position to increase our permanent
presence anywhere. In fact, we are tearing down our
permanent presence in many places.

What we have with
Tajikistan is good military-technical cooperation so that
our operations can proceed to support the work that we are
doing in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. That is work
that, as the President said, has to be done on behalf of
not just the United States and Afghanistan but on behalf of
the entire region. Extremism and terrorism are a threat to
Tajikistan, just as they are threats to the United States
and to Afghanistan. And so our military-technical
cooperation is extremely important in support of our
struggles -- our joint struggle -- against terrorism.

FOREIGN MINISTER NAZAROV: The thing is that I understand
what's behind the question that was asked here. I'd like
to tell you that there is nothing new and sensational that
came out of these meetings. The only thing that came out
of there was what we said in our introductory remarks. We
will continue on the path of cooperation that we've
started in 2001 after the events and so we will continue
to cooperate in our fight against terrorism and other
threats, which unfortunately do exist throughout the
world.

I know what the press writes about this, but this
is not true. I have taken some notes while the meeting
between the Secretary and the President was taking place,
and she clearly said -- I'm reading from the notes -- there
is no military intentions to create any permanent bases in
Tajikistan by the United States.

QUESTION: Madame
Secretary, as you have toured Central Asia, you have talked
a lot about democracy in general terms and haven't
necessarily highlighted specific cases, any anti-democratic
moves that might concern you. But in your talks with
leaders, including today, have you raised any specific
cases, especially I'm interested to know if in Tajikistan
you raised the case of the jailing of the democratic party
leader Iskandarov?

And, for the Foreign Minister, when
you hope to have free and fair elections, can you tell us
how that is possible when a credible leader of the
opposition isn't going to be able to be on the campaign
trail but is actually going to be inside a jail cell?

SECRETARY RICE: Saul, we have raised these cases on numerous
occasions with all of the governments of Central Asia.
What I have done today is to express in the clearest
possible terms that I can to the leaders that the United
States, when it is considering its relations with
countries, considers also the domestic circumstances and
the road to democracy, as the President made clear in his
State of the Union.

With the President I made very clear
that free and fair elections meant that opposition could
not only mobilize but that legitimate opposition ought to
have the ability to run in elections. And so I think that
it has been very clear here in Central Asia that we have
high standards in our expectations for what can happen
here.

Now let's be clear. Central Asia is a region that
has not had a democratic path and you have heard me, time
and time again, say that the important issue is to take
countries where they are and to see them make progress, and
that we have high expectations of our partners.

In
Kyrgyzstan, there are special circumstances there that led
to free and fair elections, elections, I think, that most
people believe are freer and fairer than anything that has
come close in this region.

In Kazakhstan, they are going
to have elections and we expect those elections to be free
and fair. And not only do we expect the day of the elections
to be free and fair, but we expect the run-up to the
elections to be free and fair. And I have made that pledge
also to opposition candidates with whom I spoke after my
speech there.

Here in Tajikistan, there is a growing
multiparty system and that multiparty system needs to be
protected. And we did talk today about the need for
elections here to be free and fair.

This is a region
that is in transition, but we have expectations that we have
clearly communicated and will continue to clearly
communicate to the leaders about the need for democratic
development to continue, for democratic development to
meet international standards and for elections -- which are
one step along the democratic path -- to be free, fair and
inclusive.

FOREIGN MINISTER NAZAROV: I want to answer as
well that there's still more than a year left before the
elections, the parties are still deciding who their
candidates will be. The parties themselves are being formed
and developed, so we'll see how that develops. And we hope
that there will be candidates contending for various
positions.

Speaking about the specific person that was
mentioned today, he was not condemned by the courts as a
leader of the party. He -- the party still exists and it
still has its leadership. The court found him guilty as an
official who violated laws, who was engaged in thefts of
large sums of federal funds, and a private citizen for
crimes. Those people who don't know the actual situation
always try to -- tend to say that it is a political matter
because of the political connection, but in reality this
is not politics; this is just plain law.

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